2018 Illinois School Report Cards

2018 Illinois School Report Cards

Posted on 11/05/2018

In a commitment to greater statewide accountability and support, the 2018 Illinois School Report Card has taken on new areas of concentration in the October release. The updated report cards represent the federal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), authorized in 2015. ESSA offers credence to student growth and graduation rates, accounting for fifty percent of how schools are evaluated, and carrying with it a 15-year implementation timeline.

The new report card emphasizes a commitment to equity for all students across the state of Illinois. The intent is to shift away from an overemphasis on achievement in standardized test scores by introducing multiple indicators of students’ success. In addition to standardized tests, comprehensive indicators will include academic growth, chronic absenteeism, English learner proficiency, fine arts participation, school climate survey summaries, and science measures, as well as preschool to second grade and elementary/ middle-grade indicators. The system also measures the academic progress of student demographic groups. High school indicators includecollege entrance examination (SAT) success andgraduation accountability.Using these balanced indicators, as defined through ESSA, a set of four tiers have been designated to reflect individual school performance: Exemplary, Commendable, Underperforming/Comprehensive, and Lowest Performing/Targeted. Funding and support services arealigned to schools that are most challenged or struggling. The intent is to shift away from competitive performance and focus on collaborative improvement.